1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hand-operated, pole mounted grasping devices and more particularly to an animal waste scooper for sanitary handling of animal droppings from pet dogs, cats, and the like, of the type commonly referred to as a pooper scooper.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for picking up animal feces are well known. These devices usually have two opposing jaws, pivotally mounted at the bottom of a pole. The top end of the pole usually has a handle having a lever, trigger, button, or other device for actuating the jaws. With such a device, people may retrieve trash or animal feces from the ground without bending or reaching excessively, and further, may do so without coming into contact with the items to be picked up. However, the practical usefulness and reliability of these devices varies greatly.
One of the most appealing reasons for using such a grasping device is that the user's hands remain clean when picking up animal waste. However, typically the jaws of the device do not stay clean. The jaws are often unprotected and in direct contact with the waste material. The device will quickly become unwelcome in the user's home, due to the contamination. Thus, the device will be left outdoors and subject to the elements. This rapidly ages the device and leads to early failure or breakage. Alternatively, the user must take the time to clean the device, a chore that typically must be done by hand, preferably using rubber gloves to avoid soiling one's hands.
A few of the devices available today make use of covers for the grasping jaws, usually with plastic bags. However, there are no bag retention clips on those devices. The bags are loosely wrapped around the jaws with no regard for retention. The devices have no mechanical means for averting the external influences of wind, gravity, etc., in order to remain in place unassisted. In addition, where the device's jaws close automatically, the user must fight the tendency of the jaws to close while simultaneously attempting to place a plastic bag over the jaws.
A variation on that theme is jaws that are open when the machine is at rest. The jaws close when the device is actuated. Such a device requires the user to keep a tight grasp of the trigger or handle to keep from dropping the jaws' contents.
Various devices have been proposed for solving these problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,145, issued to Joe Shinsako in December 1979, describes a sanitary dog litter bagger that uses bags over a pair of jaws. The bags are not secured to the jaws. Actuation is by rotating the handle, requiring two hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,054, issued to Misael Galvis in January 1995, describes a handheld device for picking up objects. The device may be operated with one hand, but is not intended for use with bags.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,442, issued to Ke-Chiang Lee in April 1996, describes a pick-up device for picking up animal feces. The device is intended for use with bags and requires the use of a bag dispenser attached to the device's handle.
None of the above patents describes a sanitary waste handling device that can be operated with a single hand, uses ordinary plastic shopping bags to line the jaws, locks open so that bags may be affixed more easily, and includes bag clips to hold the bag in place during operation.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.